IMDb RATING
6.9/10
981
YOUR RATING
Psychiatrist Dr. Ulrich Metz attempts to drive Daniel Brown to suicide.Psychiatrist Dr. Ulrich Metz attempts to drive Daniel Brown to suicide.Psychiatrist Dr. Ulrich Metz attempts to drive Daniel Brown to suicide.
Thomas J. Geraghty
- Self
- (as T.J.G.)
George Kuwa
- Elevator Operator
- (uncredited)
Babe London
- Switchboard Operator
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Douglas Fairbanks(uncredited)
- Victor Fleming(uncredited)
- Thomas J. Geraghty
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDouglas Fairbanks flees his pursuers by entering a room and proceeds to run up a wall, across the ceiling, down the opposite wall, jump from walls to ceiling, etc.--a full 30 years before Fred Astaire did the same in Royal Wedding (1951).
- Crazy creditsLouis Weadon's name is handwritten.
- ConnectionsEdited from His Majesty, the American (1919)
Featured review
Don't let this cloud roll by
Don't let the plot summary here fool you. It is indicative of 'When the Clouds Roll By' being a depressing film with the danger of taking things too seriously. It is actually the opposite, while not treating the subject as too much of a joke. Anyway, saw the film for a number of reasons, including being intrigued by the title, highly appreciating silent films, liking other Douglas Fairbanks films and finding him always a very engaging performer.
'When the Clouds Roll By' is something of a little gem. Sadly like others have said, one that doesn't have anywhere near enough attention despite absolutely deserving to. It is one of the stranger and wildest (in a good way) silent films but is also one of the most entertaining and most charming. Oh and it was very interesting seeing an early effort from Victor Fleming and a silent one, being more familiar with his more acclaimed work like the timeless 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Gone with the Wind', for me this is one of his best earlier work. If you want to get more with his early work, 'When the Clouds Roll By' is a good place to start.
It holds up well visually, some quite creative touches here and there and nothing comes over as primitive. The dream sequence and climax (those effects) stand out in this regard. Fleming never lets the momentum or fun slip, hard to believe actually that this was actually his debut which inexplicably was not mentioned by me above.
The fun never stops and neither does the energy, after such a dark time for the world not long before this must have been a refreshing watch at the time providing that people felt like it was the right time. It also felt refreshing to me now, after such recent unsettlement some escapism like this was much needed. Dream sequences don't usually get this deliciously strange and the climax is quite jaw dropping.
Likewise with the stunts, some of the boldest and most athletic pre-prime Buster Keaton. Fairbanks is utterly delightful, a bundle of charismatic energy while not over-exaggerating. The story is occasionally on the convoluted side but that is overlookable because everything else is so superb.
Concluding, a terrific film and deserving of more attention. 9/10
'When the Clouds Roll By' is something of a little gem. Sadly like others have said, one that doesn't have anywhere near enough attention despite absolutely deserving to. It is one of the stranger and wildest (in a good way) silent films but is also one of the most entertaining and most charming. Oh and it was very interesting seeing an early effort from Victor Fleming and a silent one, being more familiar with his more acclaimed work like the timeless 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Gone with the Wind', for me this is one of his best earlier work. If you want to get more with his early work, 'When the Clouds Roll By' is a good place to start.
It holds up well visually, some quite creative touches here and there and nothing comes over as primitive. The dream sequence and climax (those effects) stand out in this regard. Fleming never lets the momentum or fun slip, hard to believe actually that this was actually his debut which inexplicably was not mentioned by me above.
The fun never stops and neither does the energy, after such a dark time for the world not long before this must have been a refreshing watch at the time providing that people felt like it was the right time. It also felt refreshing to me now, after such recent unsettlement some escapism like this was much needed. Dream sequences don't usually get this deliciously strange and the climax is quite jaw dropping.
Likewise with the stunts, some of the boldest and most athletic pre-prime Buster Keaton. Fairbanks is utterly delightful, a bundle of charismatic energy while not over-exaggerating. The story is occasionally on the convoluted side but that is overlookable because everything else is so superb.
Concluding, a terrific film and deserving of more attention. 9/10
helpful•01
- TheLittleSongbird
- Mar 11, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Pesadillas
- Filming locations
- Central Station, Fifth Street, Los Angeles, California, USA(Douglas climbs the façade of the station)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was When the Clouds Roll by (1919) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer